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Update: PAROLE
DENIED. The parole of cop killer Floyd Graham has
been denied. Graham received the maximum continuance and will not have
another hearing until April 2023. Thank you to everyone who submitted a
petition
to block
this
parole.

Up For Parole

Police Officer Fred Vacha Jr.

Floyd Graham

Inmate
Name:

Floyd
Graham

Inmate Number:

A137967

Victim(s):

Police Officer
Fred Vacha Jr.
Police Officer John Saccany

Offenses:

Murder, Murder
of a Police Officer,
Shoot with Intent to Kill

Minimum/ Maximum Sentence:

20 Years - Life

Next Parole
Hearing:

April 2023

Case Facts:

On June
19th 1973 Cleveland Police Officer Fred Vacha Jr. kissed his
wife Mary Lou, who was two months pregnant, and his two-year-old
daughter Tanya goodbye. He then headed off to work to protect
the citizens of Cleveland Ohio. Officer Vacha could never have
imagined he would never see his family again.

At 1:00 A.M. Officer
Vacha and his partner, Officer John Saccany, were on patrol
when they noticed a suspicious man walking down
the street. They had seen the same man several times earlier
during their shift. Officer Saccany, who was driving the
cruiser, pulled alongside the man. Officer Vacha, who was in
the passenger
seat, rolled down his window. Officer Vacha called out to
the man, "Hey mister, hold it; I want to talk to you".
The man whirled around, pulled out a gun, and started firing
bullets into the police cruiser.

Officer Saccany jumped
out of the cruiser and started firing at the man. The man ran
up
a driveway and jumped a fence. Officer
Saccany looked back inside the vehicle and saw Officer Vacha
slumped over in his seat. A bullet hole was in the windshield
at eye level. Officer Vacha has been shot in the head above
his right eye. Officer Saccany radioed for help and Officer
Vacha was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital. Officer Vacha was
pronounced dead at 1:45AM, about 30 minutes after the shooting.
Officer Saccany was shot in the foot and would survive.

Close
to 100 police officers immediately rushed to the scene where
Officer Vacha had been shot. After searching for hours
they found a man hiding in some bushes next to a garage.
The man claimed he was hiding from a dope man who had threatened
him. He was arrested and 30 minutes later police found the
gun that killed Officer Vacha hidden under a folded piece
of
paper. The man was identified as Floyd Graham. He was charged
with the murder of Cleveland Police Officer Fred Vacha Jr.

After
Graham's arrest authorities learned he was no stranger to
the law. Graham, age 22, had been in trouble since the age
of 12. He had spent most of his life in institutions. Graham
had a long rap sheet and had been arrested three times for
carrying a concealed weapon. In May 1970 Graham pled guilty
to carrying a concealed weapon and was sentenced to three
years in prison. He was granted parole and had been off supervision
for one month when he murdered Officer Vacha.

Graham's trial
lasted two weeks. Graham made it clear he knew he was firing
at police officers. Graham stated, "The
policeman tried to say something, and I started firing the
weapon I had. Then I ran and he was firing at me. The guy
in the passenger side stayed in the car." Based on overwhelming
evidence it took a jury under six hours to find Graham guilty
of murder and murder of a police officer for killing Police
Officer Fred Vacha Jr. He was also found guilty of shooting
with intent to kill for shooting at Police Officer John Saccany.
Graham was sentenced to two life sentences plus 1-20 years.
All three sentences were ordered to run consecutively (Back
to Back). Graham escaped the death penalty because it was
not an option in 1973. At the end of the trial Judge John
T. Patton
stated "This is about the most senseless killing I've
heard of in eight years on the bench ."

Officer Vacha
left behind his wife Mary Lou, his two-year-old-daughter
Tanya, his mother and father Fred Sr. and Olive, and
his three
brothers James, Louis and Donald. Officer Vacha never had
the opportunity to meet his son. Fred III was born seven
months to the day after his father's death. Officer Fred Vacha
Jr.'s
name is inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers
Memorial Wall, Washington, D.C. panel 28, west wall, line
16.

Inmates who kill law enforcement
officers are the worst of the worst. They have demonstrated
a clear disrespect for
authority
and have shown they are capable of killing anyone who crosses
their path. Floyd Graham admittedly opened fire on two unsuspecting
police officers who wanted to do nothing more than speak
to him. One of those bullets killed Cleveland Police Officer
Fred
Vacha Jr., a loving husband and father. Throughout his trial
and since his conviction Floyd Graham has showed absolutely
no remorse for his crimes. Releasing Floyd Graham at any
point would be a complete injustice to Fred Vacha Jr. and his
family.
It would also be a slap in the face to every law enforcement
officer who puts his or her life on the line every day to
protect society. Based on the brutal and senseless nature of
Floyd
Graham's crimes we believe he should be required to serve
his full LIFE sentence and urge the Ohio Parole Board to give
Graham
the maximum ten-year continuance until his next parole hearing.

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